SAN FRANCISCO -- For a period of time this summer, Dylan Cease was the most dominant pitcher in baseball. His three-start stretch beginning in mid-July was one of the most dominant in recent memory.

Since that run -- which included a no-hitter in Washington, and two other scoreless outings in which he allowed just one hit -- Cease hasn’t exactly been poor. He just hasn’t been his usual self.

Or, as he put it after he’d thrown six innings in the Padres’ 5-0 victory over the Giants on Friday at Oracle Park:

“I feel like I haven’t contributed in like a month. So, felt nice to contribute.”

With the postseason looming less than three weeks away -- and the Padres in the midst of a ferocious National League Wild Card race -- it would certainly be an opportune time for this version of Cease to return to the top of the San Diego rotation.

He looked the part on Friday. Cease allowed just four hits while striking out 10 -- with the third of those 10 strikeouts marking the 1,000th of Cease’s career.

“When I’m in the zone with my good stuff, usually good things happen,” Cease said. “Today was just an example of that.”

In a fun coincidence, the only three pitchers to reach 1,000 K’s in fewer innings than Cease’s 830 1/3 were all in the building Friday -- Cease’s rotation mate Yu Darvish, and a pair of Giants lefties, Robbie Ray and Blake Snell.

The victory -- coupled with Arizona’s loss to Milwaukee -- moved the Padres back into the top spot in the NL Wild Card race. They hold a half-game advantage on the D-backs. Meanwhile, the Braves and Mets each won. San Diego currently sits 1 1/2 games up on New York and 2 1/2 on Atlanta.

Of course, the Padres' ambitions are bigger than merely sneaking into the postseason. They’ve built a relentless lineup and a lockdown bullpen. If there’s one area where they’ve struggled since the Trade Deadline, it’s been in the rotation. But if Cease were to catch fire now …

“I’ve got to keep going in the right direction,” Cease said. “Come playoff time, I want to be ready.”

By the time Cease took the mound Friday night, he had a three-run lead to work with. Luis Arraez -- whose streak of 129 plate appearances without a strikeout remains the longest in 20 years -- led off the game with a single.

Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with his third home run in as many games -- a missile to straightaway center off Giants starter Logan Webb. It marked Tatis’ first three-game homer streak since June 2021.

“Webb has been a pitcher that’s been giving us a little trouble,” Tatis said. “Today, we went in with the mentality that we were the attacker, and we had some good results.”

Xander Bogaerts tacked on an RBI double later in the frame, and Cease had all the run support he would need. From there, the veteran right-hander seamlessly paired his high-octane fastball with his usual wipeout slider.

“It was amazing being behind him, getting his thousandth strikeout,” Tatis said. “The guy’s just one of the best pitchers right now, and it’s really fun to play behind him.”

With Cease dealing, Friday’s outcome never seemed in doubt. San Diego tacked on runs in the fourth and ninth innings, with relievers Tanner Scott, Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada pitching a scoreless inning apiece.

Offensively, Arraez and Merrill each had three hits. Arraez, who is now batting .320, maintained his lead for the NL batting crown -- and a potential third straight batting title with a third different team. Merrill, meanwhile, had two doubles -- the 53rd and 54th extra-base hits of his remarkable rookie season, setting a franchise rookie record. (Nate Colbert and Benito Santiago each had 53.)

It was another complete team effort -- on a night the Padres took the field with the Braves and Mets already winning big. A loss, and San Diego’s place in the playoff picture would have begun to feel tenuous.

Instead, by the end of the night, the Padres had jumped Arizona for the top spot in the NL Wild Card race (which comes with home-field advantage in the Wild Card Series).

For months now, it’s seemed possible that Cease could get the ball to open that series. And if he’s starting to rekindle that mid-July magic …

“I’d rather him get on that kind of run in 15 days,” said Merrill, with a knowing smile.